CLI CLI Interview & Interrogation Methods

Question 1

What distinguishes an 'interview' from an 'interrogation' in the context of legal investigation?

Accepted Answer

Interviews are non-accusatory information-gathering sessions; interrogations are accusatory and presuppose guilt or deception

Answer

An interview is a non-accusatory conversation aimed at gathering information, while an interrogation is a structured, accusatory process used when the investigator believes the subject is withholding or fabricating information.

Question 2

Which type of question is most effective at the beginning of a witness interview to encourage a full, unguided narrative?

Accepted Answer

Open-ended questions

Answer

Open-ended questions allow the witness to provide a full, unfiltered account in their own words, which often reveals details the investigator had not anticipated.

Question 3

A CLI investigator interviewing an uncooperative witness should first attempt which approach?

Accepted Answer

Build rapport and explain the purpose and benefits of the interview

Answer

Building rapport and clearly explaining the investigator's purpose often transforms reluctant witnesses into cooperative ones without coercive or legally problematic tactics.

Question 4

When documenting a witness statement, what practice best protects the integrity of the account?

Accepted Answer

Recording verbatim quotes where possible and having the witness review and sign the statement

Answer

Verbatim documentation followed by witness review and signature creates a contemporaneous, authenticated record that is far more resistant to later challenges.

Question 5

What is the 'cognitive interview' technique designed to achieve?

Accepted Answer

Enhance memory retrieval in witnesses by using mental reinstatement of context

Answer

The cognitive interview uses techniques like mental reinstatement of the original context, reporting everything, and recalling events in different orders to improve the completeness and accuracy of witness memory.

CLI - Certified Legal Investigator Practice Test

CLI - Certified Legal Investigator Practice Test

CLI CLI Interview & Interrogation Methods